Media watch
The Press Council of India has failed to maintain the sanctity of the institution (“Cobrapost exposé shows Indian media is sinking. Now we can fight back or be drowned for good”). It should be dissolved and its structure revamped. In the name of freedom of press, the press council allows rampant corruption in the industry and self regulation is abused to the highest possible level. Journalists and employees of corporate media houses are helpless and spineless. Existing legislation is ineffective to punish the offending media houses who are responsible for the moral degradation and degeneration of the society through yellow journalism. Politicians are their accomplices. Cobrapost attests the international perception of the corruption of the Indian Press. – Bhabani Prasad Chattopadhyay
***
The Cobrapost revelations raise several questions. How much did the information fed to us prior to 2014 influence the way we voted that year? How much of what we believe today is influenced by the information we have been bombarded with over the years? What should a citizen to do in light of the Cobrapost revelations on big media? Should citizens believe the forwards sent to them any longer? Manufacturing consent is an old industry that now returns as a hydra-headed digital monster. It plots and it plants. Earlier, we in media were told to beware of hidden persuaders. Today, we are the hidden persuaders. – Rakesh Katarey
Painful prices
There is very little humour and only deep pain due to this price rise (“As India’s fuel prices keep rising, cartoonists try to ease the common citizen’s pain with humour”). If the trend continues, the law of diminishing returns may kick in. The unabated rise in the price of petrol and diesel surely poses a challenge to our present administration. Ancient India, according to our ministers, was very proficient in science and technology. People were flying around in their Vimanas without the benefit of petrol bunks or oil refineries and were proficient even in modern technologies like the internet and related developments in science and medicine. Surely there must be some reference in our ancient texts on ways and means to bring prices down. Our ministers who often talk about past achievements can find an answer to the present dilemma of rising oil prices. India needs this expertise. – HN Ramakrishna
Letter row
Innocuous? As early as 50 years back as a district collector, I had to deal with priests sitting near polling boots as a gentle reminder to vote “properly” (“Why is bishop’s innocuous letter asking Catholics to pray for India being seen as an attack on Modi?”). If you have a problem with Hindutvawadis, then you need to apply the same yardstick to others. Have double standards but do not insult readers. – Srirangachary Varadachary
***
Why? The answer is simple: ideologues fear truth. Always have, always will. – Daryl A
***
I see no wrong in the letter. Nowhere does it mention anything about the Vatican. Why did Arnab Goswami drag the Vatican into the picture? I am not one who will stay quiet. Also, in Mumbai, there are a number of priests who support the BJP. Sad but true. – Neil D’Monte
***
Anil Couto’s letter borders on sedition and should be denounced by all sound-minded Indians. I am shocked that it could even be debated what his intentions were with this incendiary letter. Being a religious representative, he is supposed to stick to matters of religion in this secular nation of ours. Instead he uses his pulpit for politics. Such stuff does not deserve publicity. – David Hogg
Karnataka verdict
Fair headline (“If the JD(S)-Congress alliance is unholy, what does that say about the BJP in Bihar or Kashmir?”). And in the interest of fairness, I would love to see an article asking Rahul Gandhi whether money was used to achieve this verdict, and if so, how much, given that Karnataka is larger state than Goa or Manipur. After all, he made the insniuation that money was given after the BJP formed the government in Goa and Manipur in similar circumstances. – Anirudha Dutta
Golden word
Thank you for publishing this article on Annappa Chougule (“Why a 66-year-old Maharashtrian villager has been sending congratulatory postcards to strangers”). In today’s cruel society, he is preserving precious moments and expecting nothing in return. This indeed is one of the best things I have ever heard.
This heart-warming article has not only brought tears to my eyes but has truly inspired me. Humans are blessed by god to fullfill their passion through free-will, no matter one’s financial status. Chowgle is an ideal of innocence, beauty and inspiration. May god bless him a long life so he can bring more beautiful moments in people’s lives. – Krunal Parekh
***
Congratulations for a heart warming article, I still write letters, perhaps that why I feel this way about the piece! – Avinash Prem
***
My warm regards and congratulations to this unique gentleman for his untiring commitment to remembering people while they are still alive. He is absolutely right and needs to be encouraged by family and friends as well as those who have the means to assist this sincere efforts. May he have a long, healthy and fulfilling life. – Ahamed
Building bridges
This is a wonderful effort that comes as a silver lining in these difficult times and shows that humanity prevails (“What is home? Indian and Pakistani artists explore the question through stories of Partition”). Everyday we are being confronted with words that show that our two countries are enemies. And yet there are those among us who have something common, though they may be religiously different. I congratute Manisha Baswani for her dedication and hope she will continue building the bridge. – Anjan K Basu
Still fresh
I am really proud of my Prestige pressure cooker (“Indian innovation: The pressure cooker fix that saved TTK Prestige from imminent bankruptcy”). I have been using it since I got married 33 years ago. I have faced no trouble, except that I have had to change the handles twice. I am still hesitant to switch to new models or brands. I bet nothing can beat Prestige. – Vijaya Pasupathi
Assam citizenship debate
I totally agree with the fact that the new ordinance for the Citizenship Amendment Bill is based on the BJP’s communal agenda
(“The Daily Fix: Assam protests should persuade Centre to reconsider the citizenship bill”). If passed, it will segregate immigrants on the basis of religion. But the parties and all the students’ organisations resisting the ordinance are opposed to any kind of acceptance of “foreigners”, as they consider them, which is not in keeping with our tradition and culture. This side of the story is missing in the debates of regional channels where BJP MLAs peddle lies and make communal remarks, bringing up Partition every time. This point is also missed by the anchors cheering the students’ unions who fear that Assam indigenous people (meaning those who speak Assamese at home) will lose their existence with this Bill. This also alienates the Bengali-speaking-Assamese who are proud of their mixture of Assamese and Bengali culture. This regional nationalism has the same root as Hindu nationalism, only their narratives are different. I hope Scroll.in will give different perspectives on this issue. – Rajesh D Sarkar
Publishing row
This is about the article authored by AR Venkatachalapathy (“In English language publishing in India (at least), women have shattered the glass ceiling”). My intention is to draw your attention to opinions that have no basis in facts (or are referenced suitably to make them tenable) and on some factual inaccuracies. It says that “There is no doubting that the Indian English publishing industry is gendered.” What is the source of this statement? This is an opinion with no basis in fact. Second, it is written, “In a limited book market as in India, publishing houses cannot be great paymasters.” The highlighted text is inaccurate. According to Nielsen’s report on the Book Publishing Industry 2015, India ranks third in the world. The article further says that Sage was “under the stewardship of Omita Goyal for some years after Tejeshwar Singh’s death”. That was never the case. Omita Goyal and Tejeshwar Singh parted ways when the latter was very much alive. This is a factual inaccuracy. He also says, “why then are editors in developed book markets mostly men?”. What is the source of this statement? Again, an opinion that is not supported by any facts.
As for the statement “a good English Literature degree is usually a prerequisite for entry into publishing, and women have always done well in this sphere”, what is the source of it? As the head of a publishing house for the last 13 years, I am qualified to say that the statement, is false. I have 13 years of hiring data to prove it. The author also credits David Davidar with “triggering the trade book revolution in India”. What revolution is being referred to here? If there is a revolution underway then perhaps that should be clear or is the revolution so unique that only the author sees it?
I read both the article and the rejoinder by Urvashi Butalia with interest. It seemed to be less about publishing and more about gender discrimination. Urvashi has craftily stayed within the realm of an opinion and ensured her statements were generic enough to slip scrutiny. But I wondered why she didn’t open up about women in publishing and stayed within the realm of responding to Venkatachalapty and his editorial gender bias?
Why is that this industry with such a large women workforce doesn’t have a single voice that stands up for women? Why is one MD who lost his job for sexual harassment now being hailed as an industry leader? Why is that no one talks about another MD who has (continues to?) had to face a sexual harassment lawsuit? Has any woman (in publishing or outside) spared a thought for the women who are constantly fighting an uphill battle to make careers without being treated as objects? For the 13 years I have spent in mainstream publishing I still cannot stop the bile from rising every time I hear that women who succeed are only because they have ‘put out’. It’s almost that they have nothing else to bring to the industry. Urvashi talks about the past and how even today in feminist circles they talk of ‘opportunities’ that don’t go to women. How about supporting those who get opportunities by ensuring that men in powerful positions exploiting women are named and shamed? Is it then a fair conclusion that the silence of the women is only adding fuel to male chauvinism in publishing? – Vivek Mehra
Aadhaar woes
The headline of this article is misleading (“In one out of five cases, Aadhaar verification in fertiliser subsidy scheme is not working”). You have mixed two different data points. First, is the 20% adjusted transactions. Second is that 97% Aadhaar authentication happened in first three attempts, which is a very positive outcome of this pilot. You have mentioned negative points only in the article. Even the positive outcome regarding the Aadhaar authentication has been painted as negative. The pilot has many positive aspects, such as retailer training and the efficiency at which it is being conducted, farmers paying the amount as mentioned in the transaction receipts, impact on diversion and the fact that a majority of farmers and retailers prefer the DBT fertiliser system. The author could have given a holistic view. – Ritesh Rautela
